(сделал = нарисовал изрядный шрам) and fixed one side of my lip in a twist (искривил одну сторону губы: «установил одну сторону губы в искривленном положении») by the aid of a small slip of flesh-colored plaster (с помощью маленькой полоски пластыря телесного цвета). Then with a red head of hair (с красной головой волос = рыжим париком), and an appropriate dress (соответствующей одеждой), I took my station in the business part of the city (занял положение в деловой части города), ostensibly as a match-seller (якобы: «по видимости» как продавец спичек) but really as a beggar (на самом деле — как нищий). For seven hours I plied my trade (семь часов я занимался моим ремеслом), and when I returned home (и когда возвратился домой) in the evening I found, to my surprise (обнаружил, к своему удивлению), that I had received no less than 26 shillings and fourpence (что получил не меньше 26 шиллингов и четырех пенсов).
schoolmaster ['sku:lmA:st@], article ['A:tIkl], volunteered [vA.l@n'tI@d], amateur ['&m@t(S)@]
"God bless you!" cried the prisoner passionately. "I would have endured imprisonment, aye, even execution, rather than have left my miserable secret as a family blot to my children.
"You are the first who have ever heard my story. My father was a schoolmaster in Chesterfield, where I received an excellent education. I travelled in my youth, took to the stage, and finally became a reporter on an evening paper in London. One day my editor wished to have a series of articles upon begging in the metropolis, and I volunteered to supply them. There was the point from which all my adventures started. It was only by trying begging as an amateur that I could get the facts upon which to base my articles. When an actor I had, of course, learned all the secrets of making up, and had been famous in the greenroom for my skill. I took advantage now of my attainments. I painted my face, and to make myself as pitiable as possible I made a good scar and fixed one side of my lip in a twist by the aid of a small slip of flesh-colored plaster. Then with a red head of hair, and an appropriate dress, I took my station in the business part of the city, ostensibly as a match-seller but really as a beggar. For seven hours I plied my trade, and when I returned home in the evening I found, to my surprise, that I had received no less than 26 shillings and fourpence.
"I wrote my articles (написал статьи) and thought little more of the matter until (почти позабыл об этом, пока), some time later (некоторое время спустя), I backed a bill for a friend (поручился заплатить за приятеля: «поддержал счет»; bill — счет) and had a writ served upon me for 25 pounds (получил извещение, врученное мне на /уплату/ 25 фунтов). I was at my wit's end (понятия не имел: «был на краю ума») where to get the money (где достать деньги), but a sudden idea came to me (неожиданная идея пришла ко мне). I begged a fortnight's grace from the creditor (попросил двухнедельную отсрочку у кредитора), asked for a holiday from my employers (попросил об отпуске у работодателей), and spent the time (провел это время) in begging in the City (нищенствуя в Сити) under my disguise (под маскировкой = переодетым; to disguise — переодевать, маскировать). In ten days (за десять дней) I had the money and had paid the debt (уплатил долг).
idea [aI'dI@], fortnight ['fO:tnaIt], employers [Im'plOI@z], debt [det]
"I wrote my articles and thought little more of the matter until, some time later, I backed a bill for a friend and had a writ served upon me for 25 pounds. I was at my wit's end where to get the money, but a sudden idea came to me. I begged a fortnight's grace from the creditor, asked for a holiday from my employers, and spent the time in begging in the City under my disguise. In ten days I had the money and had paid the debt.
"Well, you can imagine (можете представить) how hard it was to settle down to arduous work at 2 pounds a week (как трудно было засесть за тяжелую работу за два фунта в неделю) when I knew that I could earn as much in a day (мог бы заработать столько же за день) by smearing my face with a little paint (вымазав лицо небольшим количеством краски), laying my cap on the ground (положив кепку на землю), and sitting still (и сидя тихо). It was a long fight (долгая борьба) between my pride and the money (между моей гордостью и деньгами), but the dollars won at last (деньги: «доллары» победили в конце концов; to win), and I threw up reporting (забросил репортерство) and sat day after day in the corner (сидел день за днем на углу) which I had first chosen (который я /с самого/ начала выбрал), inspiring pity by my ghastly face (внушая жалость жутким/наводящим ужас лицом) and filling my pockets with coppers (и наполняя карманы медяками). Only one man knew my secret (только один человек знал мою тайну). He was the keeper of a low den (владелец низкопробного: «низкого» притона) in which I used to lodge (в котором я снимал комнату) in Swandam Lane, where I could every morning emerge as a squalid beggar (где я мог каждое утро появляться как грязный нищий) and in the evenings transform myself (по вечерам превращаться) into a well-dressed man about town (в хорошо одетого городского человека: «около города»; about town — известный; светский). This fellow (этот парень), a Lascar, was well paid by me for his rooms (хорошо получал от меня за свои комнаты), so that I knew that my secret was safe in his possession (потому я знал, что моя тайна была в безопасности в его владении = он ничего никому не скажет).
arduous ['A:dju@s], inspiring [In'spaI@rIN], possession [p@'zeSn]
"Well, you can imagine how hard it was to settle down to arduous work at 2 pounds a week when I knew that I could earn as much in a day by smearing my face with a little paint, laying my cap on the ground, and sitting still. It was a long fight between my pride and the money, but the dollars won at last, and I threw up reporting and sat day after day in the corner which I had first chosen, inspiring pity by my ghastly face and filling my pockets with coppers. Only one man knew my secret. He was the keeper of a low den in which I used to lodge in Swandam Lane, where I could every morning emerge as a squalid beggar and in the evenings transform myself into a well-dressed man about town. This fellow, a Lascar, was well paid by me for his rooms, so that I knew that my secret was safe in his possession.
"Well, very soon I found (очень скоро я обнаружил) that I was saving considerable sums of money (что я откладывал значительные суммы денег; to save — спасать, сохранять; экономить). I do not mean (не имею в виду = не думаю) that any beggar in the streets of London could earn (мог заработать) 700 pounds a year — which is less than my average takings (что меньше, чем мои средние сборы) — but I had exceptional advantages (исключительные преимущества) in my power of making up (в моем мастерстве гримирования), and also in a facility of repartee (в способности остроумия), which improved by practice (которое улучшилось практикой) and made me quite a recognized character in the City (сделало меня довольно узнаваемым персонажем в Сити). All day a stream of pennies (весь день поток пенсов), varied by silver (вперемешку с серебром), poured in upon me (лился на меня), and it was a very bad day in which I failed to take 2 pounds (и я считал неудачным тот день, в который я не мог собрать двух фунтов).
earn [@:n], average ['&v@rIdZ], exceptional [Ik'sepS(@)n(@)l], facility [f@'sIlItI], poured [pO:d]
"As I grew richer I grew more ambitious (чем богаче я становился, тем более честолюбивым /становился/; to grow — расти), took a house in the country (снял дом в деревне = за городом), and eventually married (со временем женился), without anyone having a suspicion as to my real occupation (без кого-либо, имеющего подозрение о моем настоящем занятии). My dear wife knew that I had business in the City (жена знала, что у меня были дела в Сити). She little knew what (она мало знала какие /именно/).
ambitious [&m'bIS@s], eventually [I'ventS@lI], suspicion [s@'spIS(@)n]
"Well, very soon I found that I was saving considerable sums of money. I do not mean that any beggar in the streets of London could earn 700 pounds a year — which is less than my average takings — but I had exceptional advantages in my power of making up, and also in a facility of repartee, which improved by practice and made me quite a recognized character in the City. All day a stream of pennies, varied by silver, poured in upon me, and it was a very bad day in which I failed to take 2 pounds.
"As I grew richer I grew more ambitious, took a house in the country, and eventually married, without anyone having a suspicion as to my real occupation. My dear wife knew that I had business in the City. She little knew what.
"Last Monday (в прошлый понедельник) I had finished for the day (закончил /работу/ на тот день) and was dressing in my room above the opium den (одевался в моей комнате над опиумным приютом) when I looked out of my window (выглянул в окно) and saw, to my horror and astonishment (к своему ужасу и удивлению), that my wife was standing in the street (что моя жена стояла на улице), with her eyes fixed full upon me (с глазами, устремленными прямо на меня). I gave a cry of surprise (издал крик = вскрикнул от удивления)